On foreign trips, hotel expenses often eat up almost half of the budget - unless, of course, you count shopping.
Meanwhile, this item of expenditure can be significantly reduced, and some are doing it extremely radically: for example, American Rob Greenfield, the protagonist of the Discovery Channel project "Traveling light", traveled across South America penniless, sleeping in a tent and eating whatever he had to … But it is not necessary to choose such extreme paths - you can relax quite comfortably and at the same time inexpensively, staying not in a hotel, but in a hostel.
How much?
The main advantage of the hostel is its cheapness: for just 10 euros you can stay in the very center of the city. In different countries, the cost will differ: the higher the general price level, the more expensive the hostel will be. For example, in Sweden or the UK, 20 euros per day (of course, you will have to pay in local currency - crowns and pounds, respectively) - this is more than a democratic option, but, for example, for Spain it is very expensive: for the same amount you can settle in a separate room in some cheap guesthouse. Agree, you only have to spend the night in a room abroad. So is it worth paying a lot of money for housing if it is empty 2/3 of the time?
In crowded but not mad
The main difference between a hostel and a hotel is dormitory rooms. In the standard case, you pay not for a room, but for a sleeping place - as a rule, on a bunk bed. The more people in the room, the lower the price, but the difference between a 6-bed room and, say, a 16-bed room is usually not that significant.
Check the photos when booking: some hostels offer a choice of regular and bunk beds with minimal price differentials. For lovers of privacy, a compromise option is usually offered between the hostel and the hotel: a separate room in the hostel with shared facilities.
We cook ourselves
Hostels that have a kitchen are a great way to save money on food: you can buy groceries and cook yourself, rather than eating exorbitant prices in restaurants. Of course, getting to know the local restaurants is still worth it. And if the hostel is equipped with a stove, then, for example, you can have breakfast and dinner at home, and dine in the city by choosing the institution you like.
Warm place
The location of the hostel is a very important parameter. If you live far from the city center, the savings may not be that great: public transport abroad is usually much more expensive than in Russia, and you will spend more on travel than on accommodation. On the other hand, prices are higher in the center, so the periphery of the center is the best choice. The cost there will no longer be the peak, but you can reach the main attractions on foot - on average, in 20 minutes.
Attention attention!
When you see the low price, don't rush to reserve your accommodation: first make sure that you can cancel it without penalty. Another golden rule when choosing a hostel is to carefully read all reviews (and not only those that are written in Russian, especially since there may not be any at all). Not all of them will be objective, but if several people complain about dirt or noise at once, it is worth looking for other options. If there are no reviews or there are few of them, this does not mean that the hostel is bad: most likely, it is just new, and this is an argument for it - for the owners of recently opened establishments it is extremely important to earn a reputation, so it is possible that you will be satisfied with the accommodation …
